Method of manufacturing keys for keyboards for pianos and like musical instruments



J'OTZEN.- xff'ETHoo'oF MANUFACTURINGvgrs'rok. KE'YBoARDs FoR PIANos AND LIKE M'uslcAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-131|, 1917.

Patented Nov. 2&1922.

2 ASHEETS-SHEET n. M33

's ,is 1&6

kif." Aff" Mmases @mlm- M ooow/ B. JDTZ'EN. METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING KEYS FORIKEYBOARDS FOR PIANOS AND LIKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS..

11,436,986. APPLICATION FILED I-IIAR. 3.1. L91?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Mzm ess es; Intl/em arg EERNI-ARD JGTZEN, GF BARMEN, GERMANY.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING- KEYS FOR KEYBCARDS` FOR PIAN'OS AND LIKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Appneaaon ined Mal-ch e1, 1917. sensi No. 159,051.

(GRANTED UNDER THE :PROVISIONS 0F THE ACT 0F MARGH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L., 1313.)

To all 107mm t 7n d'2/ concern 'e it known that 1,. BERNHARD Jo'rZnN, a citizen of Germany, and resident of Barmen, Rhenish Prussia, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Methods et Manufacturing Keys 'for Keyboards `for Pianos and Like Musical instruments (for which l have obtained a patent in Germany, No. 296,120, iiled Apr. 4:, 1916, ausgegeben Jan. 13, 1917), oit which the following` is a specification."

The subject of this invention is a new process of manufacturing keys for keybeards ier pianos and like musical instruments. The essential feature of niy inif'ention consists on the one hand in the employment of rotary circular saws in order te obtain smooth and exact lateral 'Faces on the keys and on the other hand in the provision oi? gagging implements ier securing` the exact position of the saw cuts and also the proper angle oit the keys.

lily invention will be more fully understood by means of 'the accompanying drawinns in which Fig'. l is a side view of the board or plate from which the keys are cut out,

Fig'. 2 is an end view et a pair oi'eircular saws employed in my improved process,

Fig. 3 is a top view o'l Fig. 1,

llie'. 4: is a longitudinal section through the plate and its support showing' the adjustment oi' the plate while cutting the slanted rear parts oit the keys.

Fig. 5 is a top view et Fig. 4, and

Figs. 6 to S are detailed views of an iinplement tor treating the corners et the upper keys.

`Like lettcnsI of re'lerei'u'fe indicate like parts througljhout .the drawings.

l intend to inaiuilacture the keys, the. shape and `formation of which ir-s the usual, by the aid ol rotary circular saws instead of band saws hitherto used, thereby obtainingr the great advantage that a peri/ect, smooth cuttingr surface is earned which needs no turther er finishing work. ln carrying out my invention l use a wooden hoard or plate f/ from which the keys are te be cut out. This plate is on its rear part provided with a transverse bar b upon which is later mounted the action. its 'front part being: covered with a layer o et ivory or other suitable material forming the playing surface. Into said'plate a are irst of all drilled the perforations (Z, which on inserting the keyboard in the piano receive the adjusting pins for the keys. Then the upper or black keys are cut on both longitudinal sides as at g, g.' This is done by shown. Theboard orlplate a is secured in its position relative tothe pair of saws by means of pins not shown fastened te the support of the plate and engagngthe periorations d. @it course the plate a must be brought in another position by the operator for each fresh double out. Fig. 1 shows the saws in `their uppermost cutting position, while in Fig. 2 the hatched parts illustrate the upper or black keys obtained by the said saws.

The lower or white keys are engendered by the cutting lines 71y which extend from the front edge oft' the plate a partly to the forward ends of the upper keys, partly to the line I--I where the slanted or inclined rear parts el: the keys commence and the ivory layer e ends. Said cuts fl are made by the aid o't a single circular saw, not shown, in a usual manner.

Hereupon the rear part of the board or yplate a is separated by cuts 7 running in an inclined direction. to the cuts g, g and 71 thereby forming` the rear slanted parts of the keys. Tozthis end the board or plate a, is

. placed on a slide :i which in any known inanner can be travelled on the table l et' the circular saw 712. Said slide carries a gaging; implement consistingv oi a plate n 'fulcrunied to a pintle 7", round which said plate is turnable. The plate n has an upright tongue m which engages one of the cuts or slots g., g. Spaced apart trom said gagging implement 'is arranged a second one cemprising a tongue 0 which is adjustable and can be fixed by a screw p, said tongue o engaging inte one ot the cuts Q. By means of both tongues m and 0 the inclined direction of the cuts Q which form the lateral faces of the rear parts of the keys can he adjusted. After one cut Q is made the tongues become operative and they now secure the proper angle of the rear slanted parts of the keys relative to the front parts thereof. The operator before each fresh cut has only to put the plate ct forward about the breadth of a key as will be easily understood from Fig. 5, the cuts Q thereby running exactly into the straight cuts g, g and it. It needs now only 'to cut out the upper or black keys at its forward end or at its front corners. For this purpose a scrollsaw is employed the saw blade ofy which is shown in Figs. 6 to 8. The novel feature of that saw consists in that the lower part u of the blade stands at a right angle to the upper part o. Each corner 8 of the upper key is first treated by the part u and then by the part o as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, thereby cutting out the upper keys completely.

It will be obvious from the above description that by my improved method a quick manufacture of keys for keyboards is obtained whereby smooth and exactly cut lateral faces are earned which need no finishing work except polishing.

Claims.

l. The improved method of manufacturing keys for keyboards for pianos and like musical instruments which consists in providing' a wooden board or plate first, by means of a double rotary circular saw, at its front part with double parallel cuts forming the side faces of the upper keys, then, by the aid of a single rotary circular saw, also at its front part with cuts running` parallel to the double cuts and forming` the side faces of the lower keys, there upon dividing the rear part of t-he plate, also with the aid of a rotary circular saw, by cu'ts running into the cuts on the front part but in an inclined direction relative to vsaid cuts, `and last, by means of a scrollsaw with a blade the lower part of which stands at a right angle to the upper part, cutting out the front corners of the upper keys. c

2. The improved method of manufacturiup; keys for keyboards for pianos and like musical instruments which consists in providing` a wooden board or plate first of all with perforations, then, by means of a double rotary circular saw, atits front part with double parallel cuts forming the side faces of the upper keys, the exact position of the cuts being` secured by pins provided on the plate support and engaging the perforations in the plate, then, by the aid of a single rotary circular saw, also at the front part of the plate with cuts running parallel to the double cuts and forming the side faces of the lower keys, thereupon dividingthe rear part of the plate, also with the aid of a rotary circular saw, by cuts running into the cuts on the front part but in an inclined direction relative to said cuts, and last, by`

means of a scroll-saw with a blade the lower part of which stands a right angle to the upper part, cutting out the front corners of the upper keys.

3. The improved method of manufacturing keys for keyboards for pianos and like musical instruments which consists in providing a wooden board or plate first, by means of a double rotarycircular saw, at its front part with double parallel cuts forming` the side faces of the upper keys, then, by the aid of a single rotary circular saw, also at its front part with cuts running parallel to the double cuts and forming the side faces of the lower keys, thereupon dividing;` the rear part of the plate, also with the aid of a rotary circular saw, by cuts running` into the cuts on the front part but in an inclined direction relative to the said cuts, the exact position and direction of the cuts in the rear part o'f the plate being secured by means of adjustable gagging tongues `arranged on the plate Support and eligaging the cuts in the plate, and last, by means of a scroll-saw with a blade the lower part of which stands at a right angle to the upper part, cutting out the front corners of the upper keys.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

BERNHARD JOTSEN.

Witnesses:

FRANCES NUrER, FREDERICK J. Diu'rZMAN. 

